Chapter 370: Commandant Gathers Troops, City Gate Guard, Wanxiu Mountain

Wild vegetable and coarse grain cakes—they sound unappetizing by name, but they are already the best food currently available.

One cake costs 5 wen; Kunpengzi needs to write two sacrificial texts in a row just to afford one.

The wild vegetable fibers are coarse and tough, and the coarse grains are not easily digested; eating them provides a strong sense of fullness, making them extremely cost-effective.

If steamed until soft in a pot and eaten hot while held in the hand, they are not too difficult to swallow!

The stall owner grabbed a steamed cake, couldn't help but swallow, and handed it to Zhou You, who was currently in the guise of his third avatar, Moyunzi Yan Ping.

Unlike fine grains, even when steamed thoroughly, the coarse grain cakes were still very hard, making his jaws ache from chewing.

Zhou You ate in silence without opening his mouth to speak, because the taste was truly indescribable.

Just as he was eating, the stall owner opposite spoke up, "Moyunzi, coming to my territory, why didn't you come directly to find me?"

When he looked up, the stall owner, who had previously looked miserable, had changed his appearance, his eyes overflowing with an eerie light.

Kunpengzi had already quietly bewitched and occupied this person's body to use as a mouthpiece, conversing with Zhou You from afar.

This situation had long been within Zhou You's expectations.

Zhou You said calmly, "I have ruined your plans several times; what do you intend to do to me?"

"Being able to ask this question shows your perspective is low; even wearing the skin of the Golden Immortal Dao cannot wash away this bandit nature."

Kunpengzi's voice came from the stall owner's mouth.

"The Witch tribe invasion, the breaking of three cities in a row, the fall of a Strong Martial Master—I have plotted many great events; with your meager strength, which one could you have ruined?"

"My Golden Immortal Dao has no good or evil, only seeking to exhaust the mysteries of the Nine Cauldrons; what does the world have to do with me?"

"Since you have entered my Dao, your thinking must change!"

"Forget it!"

Zhou You refused decisively, "Whether you are an old bandit or a fellow traveler, it does not hinder my heart, which is determined to kill you and be done with it."

"Kunpengzi, you have committed all kinds of evil, which I ignore, but you specifically caused my Cloud-Touching Stronghold to be destroyed because of it; you deserve to die!"

As he spoke, the surrounding air suddenly dropped in temperature, and frost covered the ground, spreading rapidly, causing the bricks and stones to crack with a snap.

A wisp of essence leaking from the Ice Marrow Finger caused the surroundings to enter the dead of winter prematurely.

"The ways of fighting and killing are not popular in my Dao; Moyunzi, if you want revenge, how about I give you Chen Lie?"

Commandant Chen Lie, the true enemy who led troops to destroy Cloud-Touching Stronghold.

Zhou You was stunned; he only wanted to find an excuse to kill Kunpengzi, but he didn't truly want to avenge Yan Ping.

Cloud-Touching Stronghold was a nest of villains and scum; they were better off dead than alive, and their destruction was even more gratifying—who would care to avenge them?

However, why would Kunpengzi mention Commandant Chen?

At a major traffic artery outside Gongliang City, five thousand elite troops were fully prepared and lying dormant.

Commandant Chen was accompanied by his foster son Chen Yang and over a dozen officers with the strength of Martial Masters, looking at the city on the horizon from afar.

He was at a moment of high ambition; his own main force consisted of 1,500 troops, and he had borrowed another 3,500 from Fucheng.

Having gathered five thousand troops, he claimed to be a force of ten thousand, having come to conquer Gongliang City.

Besides this, he had also invited experts from the Fucheng City Gate Guard and Wanxiu Mountain to assist.

This luxurious lineup made dealing with a mere group of rebel mobs as easy as turning over one's hand.

"Foster father, the scouts in the city have sent word: the Five Birds are all dead, the city is in chaos, and morale is unstable."

Chen Yang reported with a bow, "The opportunity for battle has arrived."

Commandant Chen nodded slightly, "They were just a mob of rabble to begin with; after a few days of good life in the city, their spirit has long since dissipated."

"Hmm, is there any news about that Lu Zhigang who killed the Five Birds?" Chen Yang shook his head, "His whereabouts are unknown; it is possible they perished together."

A voice came from the side, "Lu Zhigang practices the Seven Step Poison Sand Palm, which originates from the same source as the Poison Palm Strong Martial Master Du Taiyue; he will not die easily. Hmm, let me ask you, what of the City Gate Guard of Gongliang City?"

The one asking was one of the high-ranking members of the Fucheng City Gate Guard, the Heavy Robe Ghost-Catching Captain, Yu Jiuzhang.

As an Intermediate Martial Master, one must have slain more than two Lurking Phantoms to be qualified to wear the honor of the 'Heavy Robe'.

The Heavy Robe is one of the features of the City Gate Guard, adding two or more layers to the collar and lapels of the outer robe to distinguish those with meritorious service in killing enemies.

"The culprit behind the fall of Gongliang City, that great Lurking Phantom comparable to a Strong Martial Master—I have come here specifically for this!"

Yu Jiuzhang was deeply resentful, "The entire city's Monarch Guard died in battle; there is definitely a conspiracy."

"No matter who it is, no matter what background they have, once they offend my City Gate Guard, there will be no place for them to hide under heaven."

None of those present doubted the deterrent power in his words; the Monarch Guard indeed had the strength to do so.

"Scouts have discovered that only one small soldier remains guarding the ruins of the City Gate Guard, no more than twenty years old, named Ling Zhi Qiu."

It turned out that Ling Zhi Qiu had returned to the City Gate Guard station, and the rebels who invaded the city did not bother him, perhaps assuming the City Gate Guard had long been wiped out and that one remaining person could be of no use.

"As long as there is someone there, it is fine."

Yu Jiuzhang nodded, then looked at the person beside him, "Unique Beauty of Xishan, do you have anything you wish to say?"

Unique Beauty of Xishan was a delicate young man, and his voice was soft, "I have come here to find someone, specifically my Senior Brother from the sect, Gong Jinhuan."

"I heard he appeared in Gongliang City and was suspected of being manipulated; I have come to ferret out who did it and then beat them to death."

The Wanxiu Mountain he belonged to could be considered a legend among sects, having risen from the grassroots.

Wanxiu, as the name implies, is formed by the gathering of many excellent talents.

The embryonic form of Wanxiu Mountain was a group of like-minded Martial Masters huddling together to study martial arts and spar.

Such situations are as numerous as the hairs on an ox; they gather often and disperse often, as everyone has their own affairs and cannot meet frequently.

The turning point was that among these Martial Masters, someone actually broke through to become a Strong Martial Master, possessing the qualifications to establish a sect.

Moreover, it wasn't just one; it was several in a row.

Everyone discussed it and decided not to go through the trouble; they simply pulled together the original group to form a team and established a sect.

Thus, Wanxiu Mountain was founded.

From its birth to its growth, this sect has always been famous for its abundance of talent and open style; disciples of Wanxiu Mountain are everywhere in the prefecture, spanning every industry and martial arts school.

The appearance of Gong Jinhuan, who had been missing for a long time, in Gongliang City this time has attracted the attention of Wanxiu Mountain.

Xishan Duxiu, a high-level Martial Master, studied under the same master as Gong Jinhuan for twenty years and shares a deep friendship with him.

Do not be deceived by his maiden-like appearance; his murderous nature is extremely heavy, and it is clear that if he catches the culprit who harmed Gong Jinhuan, they will certainly not be able to die a quick death.

Commander Chen looked toward Gongliang City; Yu Jiuzhang and Xishan Duxiu are his two trump cards, representing the two major forces of the Fucheng City Gate Guard and Wanxiu Mountain, and once they are drawn in, any dark force will be crushed to pieces.

In this battle, the conquest of Gongliang City is a certainty!

"Is that really so?

A cold sneer appeared on the lips of Kunpengzi, and through the stall owner's eerie expression, the sneer appeared before Zhou You.

He raised his hand and pointed outside the city, "Five thousand elite troops are about to attack the city; Moyunzi, that is the great army of Chen Lie."

"The culprit who destroyed Cloud-Touching Stronghold, do you dare to seek revenge against him?

Responding to him were two gazes like sharp swords, piercing directly into the stall owner's pupils, attacking the true body of Kunpengzi by tracing back along the trajectory of the bewitchment.

(End of this chapter)